Rock And Metal Musicians Who Use Stage Names
These metal singers knew that it's tough to break into the music business, but that a good stage name might give you a leg up in a sea of boring Bruces, James, and Roberts.
A number of people on this list changed their names to make them catchier or easier to remember. "John Francis Bongiovi, Jr." or "Ronald James Padavona" both take up a lot more space on an album cover than "Jon Bon Jovi" or "Ronnie James Dio." From black metal and thrash to power metal, these stage names are memorable - and the singers who chose them knew they would be.
This list of famous stage names includes metal singers who go by nicknames and famous people who have changed their names. It does not, however, include singers who use their married surnames professionally, had their names legally changed as children, or celebrities with obviously theatrical stage names. We all can guess King Diamond wasn't born with the first name King.
But not every metal singer chose a stage name that stands out. You may have guessed that Lemmy Kilmister used a stage name, but it's the "Lemmy" part he wasn't born with, not the "Kilmister." Which of these metal singers have the most surprising birth names?
- Heavy metal, Progressive rock, Hard rock
- Albums: Victor
Alexandar Zivojinovich, (born 27 August 1953), better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist of the ...more - Glam metal, Experimental rock, Shock rock
- Albums: Welcome to My Nightmare, Hey Stoopid, Brutal Planet, Trash, Constrictor
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over 50 years. With his distinctive raspy voice and a stage show that ...more - Alternative rock, Alternative metal
- Albums: Aftermath
Amy Lynn Hartzler (née Lee; born December 13, 1981), known professionally as Amy Lee, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band ...more - Heavy metal, Hard rockW. Axl Rose (born February 6, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has also been the band's sole ...more
- Glam metal, Rock music, Country rock
- Albums: Songs of Life, Freedom of Sound, Jammin' with Friends, A Letter From Death Row, Show Me Your Hits! A Salute to Poison
Bret Michael Sychak (born March 15, 1963), professionally known as Bret Michaels, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He gained fame as the lead singer of the glam metal band Poison who ...more - Blues-rock, Rock music, Heavy metal
- Albums: The Early Years 1967-1972, With the Spektors and the Valentines, Round and Round: The Forgotten Years, Round and Round and Round, Seasons of Change Raven/RCA 1971-72 (disc 2)
Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, best known for being the lead vocalist and lyricist of the Australian hard rock ...more